


On the Unintended Consequences of Furycrafting and Unaddressed Personal Issues

by lodessa



Category: Codex Alera - Jim Butcher
Genre: Angst, M/M, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-09
Updated: 2009-11-09
Packaged: 2017-10-10 01:36:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/93781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lodessa/pseuds/lodessa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Crassus has always wanted Max's attention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On the Unintended Consequences of Furycrafting and Unaddressed Personal Issues

**Author's Note:**

  * For [t-lyrical (tanyart)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tanyart/gifts).



He may be the legitimate son and heir, but Crassus is also a younger brother and, like all little brothers since time began, he grew up thinking the sun rose and set with his older brother. He is sure Max remembers the way Crassus always tagged along after him, but probably he doesn't suspect that it isn't something you grow out of. At least, it isn't something you grow out of when your brother is Antillar Maximus. Children will make heroes out of anyone, but few grow up to find those people were actually worthy. Max isn't a saint; he can be undisciplined and obstinate, but he is a hero by adult standards not just a child's. Crassus still feels like a child when Max is around, in awe and looking for attention. He does his best to act like a man, though. He doesn't make any overt overtures to a man who has every reason to resent him. Serving with a Legion is supposed to be a time to break away from family ties, but that is undercut for Crassus by the presence of most of his family in the First Aleran. He tries to do his job and not to let Max or mother make a child of him. It's not an easy task. In the end he just has to not think about either of them in order to keep from being dragged into their war, a war he can't afford to take a side on.

It is only after his mother is gone that Crassus feels the pressure ease a little; he is no longer fighting a war on two fronts. He allows himself to pay attention to Max for the first time. He goes over possible reconciliations in his head. If he is honest with himself, Crassus knows he is just fantasizing. He will never make the grand gesture of relinquishing his claim as their father's heir to Max. He will never tell Max how sorry he is about the scars, or show him scars of his own from when Max left. They will never talk about their father, about what happened to Max's own mother, about Lady Antillus and how Crassus would never have supported her in her attempts on Max's life. They will never reminisce about pretty serving girls back home over a drink or ten. No. He will simply watch jealously as Max spends that energy with Scipio, with camp followers, with everyone else.

The Knights seem to like Crassus. He shares some of Max's charisma, and less of his defensiveness. There is something that keeps Crassus from getting too close to any of them though. Maybe it's being in charge. So Crassus spends a lot of time feeling alone. Fortunately, he has little time to think about it. The Canim keep them busy, and as Knight Tribune Crassus sees more of Max, has more reason to talk with him. It's all business, but even detached collaboration is sort of thrilling.

One night, Max comes to see him. Crassus could not be more surprised to see anyone. They stand in awkward silence for a moment before Max starts, sounding aggravated.

"What are playing at?" He demands.

Crassus doesn't know what what Max is talking about. "Is this about the water furies?" He guesses wildly. Maybe Max is offended that Crassus copied him with the lion. It's not like it was even intentional; his fury just turned out looking that way after that time Max rescued him from the frozen lake. Crassus is embarrassed to have had it revealed, even if only Max knows why their furies look the same.

For a moment, Max looks taken aback, "To hell with the water furies! I'm talking about this."

Crassus feels the desire swimming up in him, gentle around the edges but almost painful at the center. Max's expression is almost an ugly smirk.

"How do you like being earthcrafted by your brother? And I'm not even doing it in a big meeting."

"I... I don't know. I wasn't trying to..." Crassus stutters, trying to think through the longing, the desire to press Max against his body and taste him. Crassus has never been with other man, never wanted to, and Max is his brother. How has this happened? Has he really been earthcrafting Max without thinking about it? Why?

These thoughts lose the struggle as Max closes the gap between them. Crassus gasps as Max's hand cups him through his clothes. He can feel Max's own arousal against him. Max's mouth is hot against the skin of Crassus' neck.

"Is this what you wanted?" Max breathes as he slides a hand down into Crassus' clothes, stroking him slowly.

Crassus can't think enough to form a full sentence . His response comes out as a low moan.

Max works at Crassus' clothing with surprising dexterity. Thoughts flit through his head that Max has clearly done this before. That thought is a jealous pang that pierces through the lust. Maybe this is just another game to Max? Crassus knows that his brother has a way with women, more than one has bedded him hoping he shared more than his brother's good looks. Maybe this is a prank.

But then Max's lips meet his, with a hunger and need that can't be faked. Crassus is forced to to admit that he wants this now, whether it's something he was harboring before tonight or not. He reaches down, fumbling with Max's clothes until he manages to get his hand around his brother's erection. Max murmurs something unintelligible, breath quickening.

Crassus manages to meet his eyes, and it hits him suddenly that he has Max's undivided attention at last. Max kisses him one last time on the lips and then starts moving down Crassus' body with his mouth. He moves out of range of Crassus' hand but all he can do is whimper as Max reaches sensitive skin. He focuses on the pleasure, trying to project outward, to share. It is something he has done before with women. They seem to like it, and Crassus figures that if he can earthcraft Max into a frenzy without thinking about it, maybe the intentional kind will be spectacular. He wants to be spectacular.

Max's mouth surrounds his manhood and he is almost shaking with excitement and the sensation. He can feel Max gasp against him in response. Their breathing is aligned, ragged panting, inhaling and exhaling together. Crassus wants it to last forever.

But it can't. Before he knows it, Crassus is climaxing, shooting into Max's mouth and feeling him swallow his seed.

He can feel Max's experience of the echoes of orgasm but it's not enough. Crassus drops down to his knees and takes hold of his brother once more, pumping his first in a way that quickly leads him to follow. He tastes himself of Max as they feverishly kiss once more.

Then the intensity fades and what they have just done hits Crassus. He feels embarrassed. Max seems completely lacking in shame and just smirks at him as he pulls his clothes back to where they belong.

"You know." He tells Crassus, "If you wanted my attention you could have just said so."

Then he blows Crassus a kiss and walks out.

Crassus spends the next few days horrified and mesmerized by the memory of what has happened. Then, he gets a note from Max inviting him for a drink. He doesn't know what to expect when he gets there, but Max acts as if nothing of the ordinary has happened, in fact he acts as it there hasn't been a rift between them either. Everything seems to be strangely normal until Max gestures to the pretty serving girl and asks, "Have you ever shared a woman with someone at the same time?"

The girl is easy enough to convince. Max has her out of her clothes in no time, naked on the bed between them. She moans as each of them tease one of her nipples, Max's hand creeping down to rub down between her legs.

"Which hole do you want?" he asks, apparently simultaneously doing something to the girl as she bucks her hips in response.

Crassus hates Max for being so careless and free. Everything is an easy and fun game to him. But Max learns over the girl and kisses him and Crassus finds himself saying, "Back."

Max finishes undressing and tosses Crassus a vial of what must be some sort of oil, before lying down and pulling the girl on top of him. Crassus positions himself over them, and uses one hand to cup one of her breasts while the other coats the girl's back entrance with the slippery stuff Max has provided. Some of it drips down onto Max's testicles and he seems to moan harder, thrusting up into the girl. Crassus responds by reaching down and massaging it in, before positioning himself to penetrate.

He lets Max's movement push the girl onto him, feeling her react to being filled from both directions. What before were breathy sighs become genuine moans, as Crassus starts to move, pressing deeper inside of her. He can feel Max through her and as their mouths meet again, over one of her shoulders, Crassus gets the impression that although she is still between them, being taken, this is not about the girl. Max is getting off on the way Crassus' thrusts move her and he moans his name as he comes, much sooner that Crassus.

Crassus repositions them so that she is sitting in his lap with her back against him and he can rub the sensitive nub he has learned women like. Max put his face between her legs and her whole body shakes in reaction. Together, they follow Max's lead, Crassus knowing that the girls moans have as much to do with Max as they do with him but finding that almost more stimulating.

Afterwards, Crassus walks home feeling dirty and used but exhilarated. He falls asleep remembering little details like the little choking sound Max made. He wakes up feeling like a pawn.

Max starts earthcrafting him at random, but it's been almost a week since the that incident with the girl and they have had drinks together a few times but Max has shown no indication of repeating either incident. On the surface he is all brotherly and wholesome, and only Crassus knows they are driving each other wild with furies.

Crassus does the only thing he can think of. He follows Max this time, presses him against a wall and listens to him whimper. The look on Max's face isn't the smug grin of someone who has won a staring contest, it's needy and desperate. Crassus holds Max's head in his hands and kisses him hard. His hands are less clumsy now, as they free Max from clothing and he sinks down to the ground and takes Max in his mouth.

He imitates what he enjoys and is gratified when Max bucks his hips in response. His own need is a pleasant ache and he can feel Max growing closer and closer.

"Cr-Crass-sh..." Max can barely form the word with his mouth. Crassus looks up at him, pausing. "Take me like you did that girl." Max almost begs, no trace of his usual self assurance.

Crassus rises, kisses Max more gently than before and finishes undressing him. Max leads him over to the bed and lies facedown. He is magnificent but what catches Crassus' attention is the full display of scars across his back. Crassus has only ever gotten glimpse of those scars, scars that Max has been shy about with him his whole life. Crassus finishes stripping himself and lays himself beside Max. He begins to trace the lines on Max's back, starting with his fingertips but following up with his mouth, kissing and licking his way down from the shoulders.

"In the kit by the side of the bed." Max gasps.

Crassus is able to find a similar vial and pour some down between Max's ass cheeks. Coating a finger he slowly begins to probe, sliding just one finger in and out as Max squirms impatiently. Adding  
a finger and more lubricant, Crassus tries not to think about how often Max probably does this. Does he let Scipio penetrate him? The thoughts are hard to avoid.

Crassus loses some of his gentleness as he works a third finger in, fucking Max with his hand. Abruptly, he removes the fingers and, grabbing Max's hips with his hand, thrusting into him with one hard push. Max moans like they very best kind of whore.

Except whores don't say your name.

Crassus takes Max with every ounce of his frustration. Max moans more loudly than before and arches his hips up towards Crassus. In no time at all they are lying in a sticky mess, spent. Coming down from ecstasy, Crassus' thoughts come pouring out.

"Is this your secret? That you like to be pounded like a common whore?" Crassus cannot keep the bitterness out of his tone.

Max looks startled, "I guess now it is."

Crassus is taken aback, "Now?"

"I've never been the one taken before. I've fucked women in the ass, even a few men, but you are the first person to ever take me like that." Crassus can feel tears welling up in his eyes, "The only person I have ever wanted to."

Max just said he was special. He has something from Max that no one else does. Crassus presses himself up against his brother, kissing him.

"I didn't know. I thought maybe you and Scipio..."

Max holds him close, "Never."

"So how was it?"

Max smiles, "Tell you what, let's take a nap and I'll show you."

Crassus grins back at him. As he drifts off to sleep, he thinks to himself that this is most definitely not what other brothers are like, but he wouldn't trade it. He is special. Antillar Maximus trusts, wants, and cares about him after all. It's not just a game. It is no longer a war.


End file.
